Subscription Audiences Vary Across Subscription Niches

Subscription Services Appeal To A Variety Of Consumers

The rise of subscription services is the commerce and retail story of the last decade. The alignment of subscriptions with the growth of digital, streaming services and influencer-inspired shopping habits has magnified the profile of subscription options. Across many platforms and revenue streams, subscriptions are being positioned as a simple, efficient way to meet an existing need, pay a bill or nurture a hobby, and different audiences are responding to the various subscription opportunities.

Streaming Platforms Are Exploding In Popularity With U.S. Consumers Spending More Than $2 Billion A Month On Streaming Subscriptions

In 2018, there were 495 original scripted shows released, which is more than double what was created in 2009. Of the 495 shows, 33% were produced by online platforms of some kind. Streaming changed television forever. And it’s changed the way consumers engage with television. Subscriptions are commonplace in the streaming world, and different platforms attract distinct consumer bases.

Hulu

Hulu, an up-and-coming streaming service, offers access to network shows subscribers may have missed or prefer to watch on their own schedules. Recently, the streaming service experienced a period of strong growth with the introduction of original programming like The Handmaid’s Tale. Hulu reached 17 million subscribers in 2017, the year they launched their original programming.

Hulu currently has 25 million subscribers. A 48% subscriber increase since 2017.

Amazon Prime Offers A Variety Of Options For Its Subscribers

Amazon is a unique subscription model because its Prime service initially existed solely as a subscription offering free shipping and other perks for the retail side of Amazon. It evolved to include streaming of original and licensed programming, and in 2016 spun Amazon Prime Video into its subscription business.

In 2018, Jeff Bezos announced that Amazon Prime had more than 100 million members. This was 62% of their users.

82% of households with incomes of $112,000 or more held Prime memberships in 2017. However, usership is spread across incomes. For example, 52% of Prime memberships are held by households with incomes of $21-$41K.

By 2022, it is predicted Amazon Prime Video subscribers will exceed 122 million globally.

Amazon Prime Video subscribers skew older and have more education and interest in politics than their streaming subscriber counterparts.

Curated Subscription Boxes Reach Niche Audiences

The curated subscription box business is dominated by food, beauty and kids. In a report by Hitwise, covering April 2017 to April 2018, the 10 most-visited subscription box sites, which encompass the food, beauty and kid categories, accounted for 61% of online visits in the subscription industry.

Subscription box subscribers were often college educated or students, who lived in “hipster” towns, like Austin and Portland, and enjoyed the arts.

Curated subscription box shoppers were twice as likely to buy on Amazon and three times more likely than the average shopper to buy from Etsy, indicating a comfort with online shopping and curated items.

28% of “curate and access” subscribers, this includes subscribers to boxes like Birchbox and JustFab, cited personalization as a primary incentive for renewal.

Meal Kits Are Still Popular With Certain Target Audiences

The acquisition of meal kit subscription company Plated by Albertsons and the move by Hello Fresh to sell a supermarket version of their previously subscription-only meal kits are decent illustrations of the ways the once booming meal kit subscription industry has evolved. And there is a still a strong market for meal prep boxes.

In the last year, 60% of meal kit growth was in the retail space, alerting marketers that subscription is only one mode of delivery for this audience.

Car Subscriptions May Appeal To Younger Drivers Less Interested In Ownership

The romantic notion of a shiny new car banking curves on the open road is a much less appealing and effective marketing message for younger drivers than it used to be. According to a study by Arity, a Chicago transportation technology and data company, “More than half of adults between the ages of 22 and 37 say a car is not worth the money spent on maintenance, and that they would rather be doing something other than driving.”

Nonprofits Have Successfully Positioned Their Sustaining Donor Programs As Subscriptions

Nonprofits have successfully employed sustained donor programs with automatic monthly or annual renewals. This recurring donation model can be an effective way to generate more money from more donors over time. And with the growth of the subscription market, a sustained donor program can be positioned as another turnkey way to easily meet a need. In this case, for charity.

Understanding Who The Audience Is For Different Subscription Services

To effectively market a service to the right audience, brands need to be aware of who their audiences are, how they shop and what makes them tick. The mindset of different generations of shoppers can be a factor in when and where shoppers choose a subscription option, as can geography and income. Although there is a lot of overlap among subscription shoppers, understanding the nuances of their buying habits may lead to increased revenue and retention.

Reimagining Your Subscription Marketing Win?

About the Author

With more than 20 years of writing, editing and reporting experience, Sarah Cavill brings to Digital Media Solutions (DMS) a fine-tuned and diverse set of skills. Her work has been featured in notable publications including The Daily Muse, CBS Local, Techlicious and Glamour magazine. Sarah has a passion for current events and the deep-dive research that goes into the content development and brand identity of DMS Insights. In her role as Senior Marketing Communications Writer, Sarah contributes to the pitching, researching and writing of multiple stories published each week surrounding digital and performance marketing innovations in pop culture, news, social media, branding and advertising.